How to Make Foam Armor

Materials Needed:

     plain paper
     pencil
     scissors
     hot glue gun
     hot glue sticks
     elmer's glue
     acrylic paint (color of your choice)
     spray paint (color of your choice)
     30 X 45 sheet of thin craft foam
     30 X 45 sheet of thick craft foam
     hair dryer
     paint brushes
     velcrow
     "goop glue" or "gorilla glue"

Step A: Designing Your Armor

First, sketch out a design for your armor. Once you have design you like measure the area you will be making the armor for (shoulder,arm,head,ect...)

Step B: Making the Templet

Before you ever cut into the craft foam it is important to make a templet out of paper first. Fold a sheet of paper in half. Draw half of the design then cut it out. This way when you unfold the paper you will have a symmetrical shape.

Lay the paper templet on top of the thick foam and trace around. Cut your shape out of the foam and put aside.

Using the same paper templet fold it in half again and draw out a design for the raised part of the armor. Repeat the same steps on the thin foam.

Step C: Gluing the Two Pieces Together

Now that you have your two pieces of foam (thick foam for the base and the thin foam for the raised part) glue them together with a thin layer of hot glue. Next coat the whole thing in a layer of "Elmer's Glue" and let dry. By coating it in glue it will allow your paint the armor easily later on.

Step D: Shaping Your Armor

If you plan on have your armor contour around your body now is the time to shape it. Using a hair dryer warm up the back of the armor for a few minutes or until its easily bendable. Bend the armor into the shape you want until it cools off. The foam should keep its shape once it is completely cooled. You can keep reshaping it until you have the shape you desire.

Step E: Painting Your Armor

Its best to spray paint the entire piece first then paint over it with acrylic paint. To give it an "antique" look paint the sides of the thin layer of foam black. Using a sponge brush smear the black paint in the crevasses, this helps to give it a realistic tarnished look!

Step F: Wearing Your Armor

I've found it easy to glue a strip of Velcro to the inside of the armor using a strong glue like "Goop" or "Gorilla Glue" then sewing the opposite side for the Velcro to the garment. The armor is light enough to stay in place and easy to take off to transport!!

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